The invention relates to a tripod for a photo camera or a video camera, whose head piece exhibits a mounting for the respective device to be mounted and the mounting is swivel-mounted by means of a ball or swivel axis joint; and the head piece is connected to a column, to which removable support legs for forming the base element are attached, and whereby to attach the tripod to objects a clamping or gripping fixture is connected to the column.
According to the prior art there exist so-called pocket tripods that are used especially for travelling. The pocket tripod has a head piece that has a ball and socket joint with a mounting for the photo camera. The ball and socket joint can be arrested by means of a setscrew in suitable angular positions of the mounting carrying the camera. A clamp can be attached to the column of such pocket tripods, in order to mount the column and thus the tripod, for example, on a table top or similar objects. To reduce the size of such a tripod, there is the option of unscrewing the three support legs from the base element and of inserting through an opening on the underside of the column, in order to store in the interior of the column.
Such tripods known from the prior art are extremely limited in their field of application and/or with respect to the possibilities for modifications, a feature that affects the use of such a tripod in the field. In addition, such small pocket tripods lack the necessary standing or fastening stability, in order to be able to work with heavy camera housings and telephoto lenses, using additional flash devices. Such tripods Known from the prior art tend, therefore, to tilt on account of their small positioning area. Furthermore, such small tripods, which are equipped with such a vice grip, can be attached only to table tops or doors. With such a small vice grip it is not possible to attach to brickwork or trees, so that such tripods can be used only in rooms. Such small tripods can be used in the field only with great difficulty, especially since there must exist optimal conditions or special features. It is especially difficult, for example, on loose sand, on steep slopes or rocky foundation.
In addition, such known pocket tripods do not offer an adequate stability with the use of cameras with long lenses, since the tripod body tends to tilt owing to the shift in its center of gravity, and frequently means have to be applied to counter brace the tripod body. The adapter screw to fasten the device is tightened then in such a manner that in so doing the camera housing is damaged because the adapter screw was over-torqued.
Therefore, the object of the invention is to remedy the shortcomings of the prior art pocket tripod in such manner that with respect to its possible uses it can be better adapted to the environment while at the same time the standing or fastening possibility of such a tripod is improved.